Wimbledon is definitely keeping pace with the players. The first week is almost over, but it’s been packed with drama. What began with excitement quickly turned into shock as 23 seeded players on both the men’s and women’s sides were knocked out in the first round! Meanwhile, the tournament’s strict curfew sparked controversy when Ben Shelton lost his cool after his match was suspended in the final game of the third set. But it’s a learning curve, and Emma Raducanu and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka are the biggest beneficiaries so far!
On Friday, the WTA’s final match of the day kicked off, but before that, tennis journalist José Morgado highlighted the court conditions. Since the players weren’t under natural light, he tweeted, “Sabalenka vs. Raducanu will be played entirely under the roof.” Watching the match, you can see they’re indeed playing under fluorescent lights instead of sunlight!
What exactly happened with Ben to cause such a stir? Playing on Court 1, Shelton was on the verge of victory Thursday evening. He had cruised through two sets and led 5–4 in the third against Australia’s Rinky Hijikata when the suspension was called. Shelton confronted the umpire, sparking an argument. But all’s well now—he wrapped up his match today in just 70 minutes!
Sabalenka vs. Raducanu will be played entirely under the roof.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) July 4, 2025
Even the tournament director backed Ben’s frustration earlier today. Jamie Baker said, “We had already extended play as far as we were comfortable with. We have been playing really late this week because the weather has been great, the skies have been clear, and last night we pushed it as far as we possibly could.” It seems they’re taking the right steps now to avoid similar issues for Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu as they battle it out on Centre Court!
The stage is set for an exciting match! Will Sabalenka advance to the next round, or will Raducanu pull off a shock upset? Only time will tell!
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